Suspected arrested in shooting of mom of 12

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BY Rocco Parascandola, Kerry Burke and Larry Mcshane
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS
Originally Published:Tuesday, ...

A teen gangbanger confessed Tuesday to killing a mother of 12 while spraying a Brooklyn street with bullets intended for rivals in a turf war.

Rooftop sniper Andrew Lopez, 18, told cops that slain hero mom Zurana Horton, a second wounded mother and an 11-year-old girl grazed by a gunshot were collateral damage in his intended killing spree.

The scrawny gunman insisted "he did not mean to shoot the ladies" after his arrest in the slaying that left a dozen motherless kids, sources told the Daily News. "It's a shame, just a shame," said Horton's devastated mother, Denise Peace. "I'm so glad they found the guys who did it. I hope they get everything they deserve."

Lopez was charged with murdering Horton, 33, who was fatally shot in the chest while acting as a human shield to save children headed home Friday from Public School 298 in Brownsville.

The former drug dealer and member of the local 8 Block gang went to the roof of his apartment building at 1800 Pitkin Ave. and opened fire just 13 minutes after the end-of-day school bell rang, police said.

Lopez's targets were the Young Goons, a rival gang from the nearby Howard Houses, whom his crew had a spat with just moments before, police sources said.

Horton was picking up some of her kids from school when the first shot rang out, and witnesses said she immediately used her body to protect terrified children from the flying bullets.

Student Cheanne McKnight, 11, suffered a slight wound to her cheek, while a 31-year-old Brooklyn mom was shot in the arm as the gunman squeezed off at least 12 rounds before fleeing.

The gunfire left parents and children running for their lives just one block from the school.

Police recovered a dozen 9-mm. shell casings on the building's roof and the sidewalk below. The slain woman was planning to marry her jailed boyfriend on Valentine's Day next year.

"We're certainly pleased with the fact that the investigation has identified Mr. Lopez and he's made statements and apparently made a full confession," said Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly.

Half brothers collared

Arrested along with the suspected sniper were his two half brothers, 17-year-old Kristian Lopez and 22-year-old Jonathan Carrasquillo.

The trio lived in a fifth-floor apartment in the Pitkin Ave. apartment.

Andrew Lopez and Carrasquillo were charged with murder, two counts of assault, reckless endangerment and weapons possession.

Kristian Lopez was arrested for criminal possession of a weapon - a baseball bat, police said. Andrew Lopez had a previous arrest for walking down Pitkin Ave. while toting a loaded rifle three years ago, police sources said.

His sister said Lopez was a former drug dealer and user who recently graduated from a rehab program.

"They're not bad boys," insisted 15-year-old Zhaney Martinez. "They have friends in gangs, but they're not gang members. ... None of them did this."

Cheanne on the day of the shooting told her mother and police that she felt she was the target because she had earlier got into an argument with a 15-year-old girl over a cell phone.

Cheanne believed the older girl contacted her boyfriend, who enlisted the Lopez brothers to shoot her.

They hope he gets what he deserves. Even if convicted that's not likely. Lets say he is convicted (strange things can happen in court), he'll spend 20-40 years living off the tax payer then some day he may get what he deserves (if the state gets the chance). The accused is constitutionally guaranteed the right to a speedy trial, why don't the victims have the right to a speedy execution of sentence?